Their Names Be Remembered
by Jenn Calaelen
Summary: After the war is long finished, Eomer looks back on events and reflects on how they might be remembered


Their Names Be remembered

By Nerwen Calaelen

Disclaimer: This story is based on 'The Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkien and the film of the same book.  It is fanfiction and I therefore don't own anything. 

A/N: This story was beta read for me by Lasse-lanta1.  Thank you very much.  Any remaining mistakes are totally my fault.  

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The feast to celebrate twenty five years of Elessar's reign had been going on for many hours, all but the Hobbits had finished eating.  It was the time for musicians and on this occasion a young harper of the court had composed a song of celebration for the event.  As he plucked the opening chord the hall quieted to hear his song.

_I sing of the War of the Ring _

_Of the deeds of glorious heroes  _

_Of the return of the king to Gondor_

_And how he wrought Sauron's fall _

The song wove through events, many nodding or speaking to those near them as they heard particular lines or noticed inaccuracies in the song – the young harper had not been there and he seemed to have changed parts of the story.  The song wound on as the night did,

_From the north came the horns of Rohan_

_King Theoden leading the Eored to fight_

_To fight and die on the fields of Pelennor_

_With him rode his sister daughter Eowyn _

_Forth came the Nazgul king indestructible_

_Flying to towards his fate unknowingly_

_To bring down the king through fear_

_He fell crushed to the ground defeated_

_Yet forth stood Eowyn unflinching,_

_Challenging the dwimmerlaik bravely,_

_The Nazgul taunted her, laughing_

_With his prophesised indestructibility_

_Yet forth she spoke to the wraith_

_"No living man am I!Eowyn am I_

_Daughter of Eomund of Rohan"_

_And struck the Witch King down_

_And thus the Nazgul was destroyed,_

_Fair Eowyn fell wounded to the ground_

_In the midst of the battle to die,_

_The battle swirling on around her_

Eomer glanced at his sister as her role was lauded, 'here in Gondor she is indeed a hero and will be remembered as such until the end of the world, it seems.' 

_Charging out of the Corsairs' ships_

_King Elessar bringing needed hope_

_Leading the dead of Erech to fight,_

_To win back honour and peace._

_Bringing an invincible force,_

_Willing to fight killing for honour,_

_Destroying the armies of Mordor,_

_Before returning to their peace._

_Out rode the men of the West,_

_Through ruined Osgiliath,_

_And onward to Morannon,_

_To challenge the Dark lord,_

_To fight and die there for hope,_

_To stare despair in the face,_

_But return with victory,_

_With the destruction of the Ring._

'He tells the story well – but is that how it happened?  He tells of the glory of Gondor and of the quest of the Halflings in passing.  Yet it seems that he has forgotten Rohan, save in the battle on the Pelennor fields.  However, this is Gondor and they honour their own for the most part, but that is to be expected.  Eowyn they laud as they seem to have taken her into their hearts.  I am glad that it is so, let her be remembered well.  But what of those who died, what of Theodred?  What of the battles we fought, enabling us to march to Gondor's aid?  We are already forgotten here in Gondor, it seems.  Will our names be forgotten in the future or only remembered among our own people in our sagas.  But will they be remembered truly or change over time?  There are records of our people here in the libraries and apparently their versions do not always agree with our tales.  Does the truth hide in those dusty parchments?  And what will people remember in times to come?  Will these songs of Gondor, recorded in written form survive to the future as the truth?  Does it matter which version survives?  Should I grieve that my role in the war may be forgotten?'

He shook his head, 'this wine is too strong – tonight is a time of celebration, not for brooding over the future.  The dead are dust, and the living can know not what matters to them.  Let death concern only the dead.'

_All hail the heroes of the war_

_Those who died in honour_

_And those who live in glory_

_Their names be remembered._

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A/N: Comments please!


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